On September 18, 2024, the government of The Bahamas instituted a new, non-refundable $200.00 Processing Fee for visitors applying for an extension of stay. Whenever a visitor wishes to extend their stay in The Bahamas, this fee would apply. The concern we have seen is when the extension is required. When entering The Bahamas, a visitor must complete an Immigration Arrival Card (sample below). One of the fields we complete is the “Intended Stay (nights)” field. Upon calling the immigration departments at different airports, we identified a disparity of how when the extension is required. At some airports, they are automatically granting a 30-day authorization (the maximum) upon entry regardless of how many nights you entered in the "Intended Stay" field. At some other airports, they are only authorizing based on the number of nights you entered in the "Intended Stay" field.
Therefore, we urge all visitors to check at the bottom right corner of the form for the "Permitted Stay (days)" field to see how many nights the Immigration Officer has authorized your stay for so that you don't get caught by surprise. The maximum limit for a visitor to be in The Bahamas is 30 days. You can request an extension beyond the 30 days by completing all of the document requirements by Bahamas Immigration, including an in-person interview, and pay the $ 200 USD fee.
Last edited by CST Flight Services; 10/07/2411:36 AM.
